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20 Feb 2026

Brazil and India forge alliance on critical minerals and AI to reshape global technology order

Brazil's President Lula and India's PM Modi are set to announce a framework agreement on critical minerals and artificial intelligence cooperation. With Brazil holding the world's second-largest rare earths reserves, both nations aim to move beyond raw material supply to processing, challenging China's dominance. The partnership positions emerging economies as key voices in shaping AI regulation and technology development.

2 Sources

Google's Pomelli AI Photoshoot Tool Transforms Product Marketing for Small Businesses

Google Labs has launched Pomelli, a free AI-powered marketing tool that generates professional-quality product images from basic photos. The new Photoshoot feature uses generative AI to create studio-quality images with custom backgrounds and lighting, designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. While the tool offers cost-effective solutions for e-commerce sellers, it raises concerns as 58 percent of UK photographers report losing work to AI.

3 Sources

UN panel aims for human control of AI as Guterres calls for facts over fear

UN chief Antonio Guterres announced that the UN General Assembly has confirmed 40 members for the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, emphasizing the need to make human control of AI a technical reality. The panel's first report is expected in July, ahead of the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

2 Sources

Google Gemini 3.1 Pro doubles reasoning score, beats rivals in key AI benchmarks

Google released Gemini 3.1 Pro with dramatically improved problem-solving and reasoning capabilities, more than doubling its predecessor's performance on abstract reasoning tests. The newest and more powerful large language model scored 77.1% on ARC-AGI-2 and achieved a record 44.4% on Humanity's Last Exam, outperforming OpenAI and Anthropic in most benchmarks as accelerating competition among major tech companies intensifies.

27 Sources

India unveils homegrown AI models at major summit, but experts say DeepSeek moment remains distant

Indian AI startups showcased locally-built models at New Delhi's AI Impact Summit, with Prime Minister Modi celebrating 'Made in India' innovation. Sarvam AI released models optimized for 22 Indian languages, while Gnani.ai launched Vachana speech models trained on over a million hours of audio. But analysts suggest India's realistic path lies in becoming the world's largest AI adoption market rather than a frontier innovation hub.

2 Sources

Samsung overhauls Bixby with AI smarts in One UI 8.5, ahead of Galaxy S26 launch on Feb. 25

Samsung has launched a beta program for its overhauled Bixby AI voice assistant in One UI 8.5, introducing natural language understanding and real-time web search capabilities. The update transforms Bixby into a conversational device agent that can control device settings without requiring exact commands. Available now in six markets including the US, the new Bixby will debut alongside the Galaxy S26 at Samsung's Unpacked event on February 25.

7 Sources

Microsoft embeds Copilot into Windows 11 taskbar and File Explorer with AI agents

Microsoft is embedding Copilot deeper into Windows 11, adding AI agents to the taskbar and document summarization to File Explorer. The new Ask Copilot feature transforms the search bar into a conversational AI interface, while only 3.3% of users currently pay for the tool. The updates roll out to Microsoft 365 users in coming weeks.

3 Sources

US launches Tech Corps to deploy thousands of volunteers in global AI race with China

The Trump administration unveiled the Tech Corps initiative, deploying up to 5,000 American science and math graduates over five years to promote American AI abroad. The program aims to steer developing countries toward US artificial intelligence hardware and software while countering China's growing tech influence across the Global South.

5 Sources

Nvidia Deepens Early-Stage Push Into India's AI Startup Ecosystem With New Partnerships

Nvidia is accelerating its engagement with India's AI startup ecosystem through a multi-year partnership with Activate venture firm's $75 million fund. The collaboration targets 25-30 early-stage AI startups, providing them direct access to Nvidia's technical teams, proprietary models, and computing infrastructure even before companies are formally established.

2 Sources

AI agents surge in capability but lack safety disclosures, MIT AI Agent Index reveals

MIT researchers analyzed 30 AI agents and found a troubling pattern: while developers eagerly showcase what their systems can do, only 19% disclose formal safety policies and fewer than 10% report external safety evaluations. The study exposes how agentic AI systems that can autonomously perform tasks like booking flights and managing workflows are advancing faster than their safety frameworks.

6 Sources

Meta slashes employee stock awards by 5% as Zuckerberg channels billions into AI infrastructure

Meta has cut employee stock awards by 5% for the second consecutive year, following a 10% reduction in 2025. The move frees up resources as CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to spend up to $135 billion on AI infrastructure in 2026, including gigawatt-scale data centers and over 1.3 million Nvidia AI GPUs, while offering eye-watering compensation packages to secure top AI talent.

4 Sources

Warhammer Legend Jervis Johnson Backs Games Workshop's AI Ban, Warns It Encourages Laziness

Jervis Johnson, the legendary tabletop game designer behind Warhammer 40,000 and Blood Bowl, has voiced strong support for Games Workshop's AI ban. He warns that generative AI could become the 'asbestos of the internet' and believes it hinders creative work by encouraging laziness rather than delivering the human effort needed for top-tier game design.

2 Sources

AI Won't Kill IT Services: Industry Leaders Push Back on Disruption Fears

Industry leaders including Cognizant's AI chief and Anand Mahindra are pushing back against predictions that AI will eliminate IT services firms. While AI is transforming how work gets done, experts argue that enterprises still need human expertise for deployment, integration, and orchestration. The debate intensifies as some predict IT services will vanish by 2030, while others see AI creating more demand, not less.

8 Sources

19 Feb 2026

Walmart's AI chatbot Sparky drives 35% higher sales as retail giant expands global strategy

Walmart reported Q4 revenue of $190.66 billion with online sales surging 27% year-over-year, powered by its AI shopping assistant Sparky. The chatbot now engages half of app users and generates 35% higher order values. As the retail giant crosses $1 trillion market value, CEO John Furner announced plans to expand Sparky globally while deepening partnerships with OpenAI and Google.

3 Sources

Tom Cruise Brad Pitt AI fight scene sparks Hollywood debate over green-screen footage controversy

A viral AI video featuring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a rooftop fight scene generated over 1.8 million views and triggered panic across Hollywood. But visual effects artist Aron Peterson uncovered evidence suggesting ByteDance's Seedance 2.0 used green-screen footage with stuntmen rather than creating the scene from a simple prompt alone, raising questions about AI video generation capabilities.

2 Sources

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